Everyone Deserves the Truth
by Brien James
Summary: Neville and Dudley are just about ready to tie the knot and settle down. But every half of a couple has a past. However, who'd ever think that Dudley's past could catch up to them in Hogsmeade?


Everyone Deserves the Truth

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the world of Harry Potter, nor any of the characters or global concepts herein. My name is not J.K. Rowling, and this is not meant as a threat to her ownership of Harry Potter.

**Reader Beware**: Homosexual Relationship, "British" Dialogue with American Spelling.

**Time**: roughly 7 years after the end of the Deathly Hallows.

**Place**: Inside an average looking flat in London, England.

* * *

It had been a year since they had moved in together, and they were planning a wedding to take place in six months. Neville had come to cherish Dudley more each day, and he knew that they were meant for one another. They were just about to approach Hannah about her serving as the surrogate for their child. Neville wasn't certain how he felt about imposing on her for this, but their divorce had been amicable, and she occasionally came over for dinner or to play parlor games with her boyfriend. So, it seemed that the best time to ask was now.

A couple of his friends had ribbed Neville about rushing into things, as most of them had known one another for ages before proposing marriage, but Neville had been married once before and he was certain that he had only thought he and Hannah were meant to last. The evidence was right in front of his eyes every time he beheld his fiance. A reaction that bordered on primal would shudder through his spine if Dudley flashed him a grin while stepping out of the shower in the morning, and he felt every bit at one with him when they would cuddle on the sofa at night. At the moment, it was one of the former moments.

"Duds? What do you think about going out for dinner? To the Three Broomsticks? I can show you Hogsmeade, which is near the castle. We can spend the night in Scotland if you like," Neville offered.

"Scotland in early summer? Isn't that just a bit cliche? You're not trying to take me in the tall grass and put heather in my hair are you, love?" his lover responded.

Neville smirked at the thought and grinned as he responded, "I think after dinner surprises will need to remain just that, Mr. Dursley."

The blond haired giant smiled back, his cheeks flushing briefly as he replied, "Well, I may be an easy lay, but it's still going to cost you pint after pint. I don't feel like being sober in Scotland of all places." Then he shuddered visibly for effect, which caused Neville to laugh.

* * *

They had just finished dinner and their fourth round when the pair of laughing men found themselves pushing into the Hog's Head Inn. Neville had told him in the briefest of moments when their heads were placed close together as the door swung open, "I'm a professor now, so I can't be caught shagging anybody in a classroom or whatnot."

Dudley was a bit tipsy and he let a naughty comment slip out of his mouth as the door shut behind them, "But, what about my detention, Professor? I don't think I'll learn my lesson unless I'm properly chastised." A few snorts went up in the background at that, and Dudley's cheeks turned red as he looked around the room. Cheery eyes met his and a few heads dipped in acknowledging nods. He could see the smirks on some of their faces, and in others he could see the smirks in their eyes. The room full of strangers seemed in on the conspiratorial farce and so he lowered his eyes. Neville guided him to the bar and was about to say something when he froze.

"Longbottom," the barkeep said, showing his recognition of Neville.

"Goyle, I hadn't heard you were working here at the Hog's Head. Is Aberforth still around or are you the new owner?" he asked.

"The old man's still here. He just likes to turn in early most of the time," he heard in response. Dudley pushed back the veil of drunkenness to actually look at the barkeep. He was a man a little shorter than Neville and he, but of a similar age, with dark brown hair and a strong build. He was not necessarily what Dudley would want if he and Neville were unattached now, but maybe what Dudley would have chased in his gay youth if he had ever had one of those. He had come out well after his teen years were over, so it often felt like he went from puberty to dating Neville as an adult. There was just a hint of pudginess showing on the other man's face and frame, and the obvious muscles were well earned as well.

Ashamed of himself for sizing up what had to be a school years contemporary of his fiance, Dudley turned to Neville and asked, "Are you going to introduce me to your school mate?"

"Longbottom and I were hardly mates," the man interjected. "It was more like he was a favorite victim, which I'm now very sorry for," the barkeep said with a strong measure of sincerity.

"Duds, this is Gregory Goyle. We attended Hogwarts in the same year. He and Vincent Crabbe, rest his soul, were always hanging about with Malfoy, and playing pranks on me and everybody younger than them," he said. His tone was frosty, and Dudley could tell that their was no love lost between them, even given the respectful mention of the man's dead comrade.

"Hi. Dudley Dursley," he said, trying to lighten the mood.

Before either man could say anything to that Neville interrupted, "Yes, I'm with him, and yes he's a muggle. So if you're going to say anything, get it out of your system, and then get me a room key. Aberforth wouldn't turn me away."

"Err... I wasn't gonna say anything, Long... Neville. I wouldn't have room to talk. Vince and I were very much together for the longest time, but we fought like cats and dogs about who got to be in charge. So we went off to shag muggles together," he said. His eyes transformed from the unreadable mirror they had been to containers holding in a sad thought.

"I've a confession, which you should hear now that I've met you again," the wizard said to Dudley. This was confusing to him, as he'd never met the man before now. He was somewhat nondescript but Dudley had a decent memory for those had wronged him, so the word confession was a red flag that didn't match up. The confusion grew on his face as Goyle continued, "Vince and I used to tumble you back in the nineties. We locked your memories because of how scared you were after the first time."

Neville had a look of shock on his face, "What?" It took him long moments to process this, "You left school grounds and went off to molest Dudley?"

Dudley himself was speechless as the confession came about. "It wasn't molestation. He wasn't against it," the dark man said. He turned to face Neville, "The first time was during Christmas Hols, but after that yeah, we'd sneak off on Hogsmeade Weekends and floo to near the school he was going to and... well that was that. Whenever we'd get in a fight over who was gonna be on bottom, we'd go find Dudley or some other bloke."

"So why'd you lock his memories then?" Neville asked. His face was tight, and Dudley could tell he was angry about that.

"He begged us to do something. He kept going on about his father killing him if he found out he was a poufter. We thought it was kinder than letting him tear his hair out worrying," Goyle admitted and turned around to claim a room key from the hideaway stash.

"Here," he said after turning back around and handing the key to Dudley, "the room's on me. If you want to remember, I'll give you the code phrase." He then turned to Neville and said, "Vince and I had differences in opinion and politics, but I was caught between my parents and the Dark Lord. Vince was seduced by power and caught between that and me. I think he took for granted I'd follow him whatever dark road he took, and he took the darkest one. I mourn his death, but I only regret not being able to keep him from the ledge he fell over. I now regret the things we used to do to kids like you as well, Neville."

Dudley sputtered out, "What about kids like me? Thoroughly buggered and thinking we were straight afterwards?" His voice was low, but both of the wizards caught it.

"I'm sorry now, since it's affected you like this. Burying painful things is just the Slytherin way. After I read his updated biography, I've always wondered how Potter made Gryffindor and turned out as strong as he did," Goyle said. He leaned forward so that only the pair could hear him and whispered, "The code is 'Slytherin inside'."

Immediately Dudley's head swam with an influx of imagery: a tall heavyset boy with black hair standing next to a younger version of Goyle. "My, my, Greg. This one is a tall blond with more than enough curves for both of us." Young Goyle gave him an appraising look and nodded silently to his taller, wider companion who looked back at Dudley with a lustful grin plastered on his face. Then the unnamed boy leaned over and brought his mouth near Dudley's ear, "How would you like someone Slytherin inside you?" And Dudley remembered his cheeks flushing red and his fist which had been raising to lay out the stranger falling back to his side.

Next came memory after memory. He remembered times when they'd coupled under the stands on the pitch surrounded by snow but warm as a campfire cuddle. Then he recalled times they'd bound him with leather straps or rope they'd shot out of their wands. And he vividly relived one time when they'd sandwiched him between them with the larger one bucking into him as he and Greg engaged in a 69. All the debauchery of his youth came back to his mind and it wasn't long before he focused and saw Neville hovering over him. When he blinked again he noticed that he was lying on the inn's wooden floor and that he must have been writhing because every eye was on him.

Neville helped him to gain his feet and they stumbled off to their room. Once Neville had opened the door and Dudley had shuffled inside, he turned back to him. "Are you alright, Duds? You pushed off from the bar like it was on fire and you looked like you were having convulsions once you hit the floor," Neville asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said, hanging his head in dejection.

"What's wrong?" Neville asked again.

"I just found out that I'm a slag. The things I did with those two really can't be spoken of in polite society. I mean, under the stands, and ropes and things," he mouthed out, becoming more and more distant as he explained.

"First off, Dudley, that was all before you met me. And in some weird way, I almost think it's for the best. If you'd have told your parents before you were of age, they'd probably have locked you up or kicked you out and I lived through the heartache with you at keeping us a secret from your family. I'm not sure you'd have come away healthy if you had gone through it alone at 15. So maybe Goyle is right that you were better off forgetting," Neville said. He cupped Dudley's chin and drew his gaze up with a gentle lift.

"Secondly, I wouldn't care if you wanted to have a reunion shag with Goyle. I'm the one you're gonna marry, right? You already know that the wizarding world doesn't care so much about those kinds of things. I mean I might get upset if you suddenly wanted him to move in or something like that, but we are in love, with each other. I've been raised to see lovers on the side as an accepted thing, as long as it's all in its place and both parties agree. I can't get mad at you for liking rough sex with a pair of boys during your youth," he said, "Even if they probably had the most twisted minds in my year," he finished.

"So... this doesn't change how you feel about me? Or your plans for tonight?" he asked.

Neville shook his head, "Not in the least, it just may take a few seconds to get back in the mood."

"Nev, I love you so much," he said, tears at the corners of his eyes. "I could tell something when Greg looked at me. He's not had anyone for a long time in his life. And my memories and the love we have is making me want to help him, if only a little," Dudley said.

The pair of them walked back out to the common room of the inn as Goyle was kicking the last of the drunks out to either bed or the street. He noticed them as the last of the patrons was pushed into the hall past them. He gave both of them a tentative glance and held eye contact with each of them as they walked over. "Greg, you haven't even touched anybody since Vince died have you?" Dudley asked.

The other man's mouth dropped open and he stepped back, "How... no, I haven't," he admitted after questioning them both.

Dudley turned to Neville who nodded back to him, "I think it is obvious. I don't know when or how he died, but when Nev said God rest his soul, and I remembered what he was like, I knew. You watched him die and you haven't finished mourning." Then Dudley leaned forward, dropping his shoulders to Goyle's height and pulled him into a tight hug.

"I loved him, Dudley. I loved him so much that I tried being what he wanted me to be, and it hurt that I had corrupted myself for nothing after he died. And he died by his own hand, so I can't even seek revenge! I'm just lost!" Goyle said, wrapping his arms around him as well.

Then Neville was there at Dudley's back and encircling both of them together, "Goy... Greg. We're here now, and you need someone with you tonight. To start healing. I've only got two rules for tonight."

Greg stopped crying while Dudley cupped the back of his head and just hugged him tighter. "What are those?" he asked with a tear in his eye and a smirk on his face.

Neville said, "You're not allowed to get besotted by my husband to be and try to steal him away."

Dudley spoke up when Neville finished, "And you might have to bottom. It's not a one-way street in our bedroom."

Greg laughed and gave Dudley a quick peck on the lips, "I think I can handle that. I think I may have to try not to fall for both of you. It's been so long."

All three men laughed as they released each other. Then standing in a rough triangle Dudley turned his gaze on Neville once again and mouthed 'Thank You' to him. Neville nodded and then turned his most fierce professorial glare to the pair of them. "It seems I've caught two young men in the act of being nasty to some first years. Detention for both of you I think."

Dudley smirked, and then put on his best getting-out-of-trouble face "None of the firsties were hurt, Professor. You've got it all wrong!"

Greg smirked and nodded as well, "You're wrong, Professor. We were just going to the library."

Neville sniffed, channeling Severus Snape like a professional imitator, "Given your academic progress this term, I find that highly unlikely. Off to my room with both of you. I shall have to think of a suitable deterrent to curtail this behavior. I'll make proper men of you yet!" he said swatting both of their behinds in tandem. Dudley cooed as he ran back to their room, Greg smirked openly as he followed close behind.


End file.
